The Withywindle Willow - Wight War Wager

[Galendor]

Originally Posted by alatar

Two sets will be started during the morning, two in the evening, and one in midafternoon.

Since Old Man Willow is older and meaner than the Barrow Wight, I predict he would get the majority of the hobbits. Specifically, OMW would get all of the hobbits that enter the staging grounds during daylight hours (the morning or mid afternoon), which equals 12 hobbits. Because during the day, OMW is more effective than the Barrow Wight. That is when Old Man Willow is undergoing photosynthesis, making the energy he needs for hobbit-catching from sunlight.

Since the Barrow Wight is harmed by sunlight, he has to wait until night to go hobbit hunting. He might get the hobbits that enter the staging grounds at night (= 8 hobbits), and any stragglers that might somehow have gotten free from OMW during the day (these are likely wounded and easy pickings). At night, OMW is undergoing respiration and is probably less active (like any plant).

I guess the Barrow Wight is kind of like a clown fish and Old Man Willow is the anemone, the Barrow Wight gets the scraps left over by OMW. But it is enough to keep him in a regular supply of stragglers to unclothe, dress-up, and lay a sword across.